Mercedes Just Got Serious About Keeping You Safe

Over the decades Mercedes has always been known as a manufacturer keen on safety technologies. But ever since the SLK arrived on the scene in the early 1990s, the car company shifted focus. For a time it was all about the latest non-safety-related technologies. However, in recent years, Mercedes has gotten back to its old form. Today, the car maker is at the forefront of several technologies revolutionizing the way we think about car safety. Let’s take a look.

Mercedes Pre-Safe

Mercedes pre-safe is currently available on the C, GLC, CLA, E and S class. It’s a marketing name that Mercedes have given to a collection of technologies that activate before an impact. Essentially, the car becomes aware that there is about to be an impact and starts doing things to prepare for it. If the car starts skidding, it closes the windows and sunroof and tightens the seatbelts. Mercedes claims that these help occupants better prepare for an impact.

Attention Assist

Every year, thousands of Americans need a DUI attorney to defend against drink driving charges. But Mercedes hopes that their new attention assist tech will discourage those who’ve had a drink to get behind the wheel.

Attention assist is a smart technology that’s able to tell if your driving pattern has changed. It collects data about your driving style and stores it in its memory. It then uses input and external sensors to detect whether your driving style has changed from normal. If it has, then it will issue a warning telling you to stop the car and pull over. Of course, the choice to pull over and stop is still yours. But the fact that your vehicle has an eye on you might be enough to discourage some drunk drivers.

What’s also cool about the technology is that it can be used to similar effect when a driver is tired. For instance, if a driver keeps having to make sudden corrections to the wheel because they’re dozing off, the car will sound an alert.

Blind Spot Assist And Lane Keeping

Nothing is worse for a driver than mile after mile of boring motorway. But the highway is fraught with potential dangers. One risk is changing lanes while somebody is in your blind spot. Suddenly moving over can cause other cars to brake or swerve, risking additional accidents. But Mercedes intends to get around this problem with providing drivers with more information. Their E, S and G classes now all come with radar sensors on the rear bumper and side mirrors. And these sensors are used to detect the presence of nearby vehicles. If there’s a red icon on the side mirror, then you know there’s another car in your blind spot.

The radar can also be used to issue lane drift warning, like on the Toyota Camry. If you start drifting out of your lane without signaling, the steering wheel will start vibrating. Even if you don’t respond, the Mercedes has a system where the brakes will selectively respond to guide drivers back into lane.